1st look at The Cantinas Taco Bell pop-up: Fans have a Baja Blast in early retirement
For the old at heart ready to live out their early retirement dreams, Taco Bell opened its doors to The Cantinas -- a first-of-its kind pop-up experience with an array of senior-inspired leisure activities from golf and pickleball to bingo and still life painting, all decked out with retro nods to the beloved fast food brand.
Taco Bell launched its first-ever daytime oasis experience in southern California, hosting 250 of its loyal Rewards Members who joined from 20 states to celebrate the "Live Más" spirit.
The Cantinas created for Taco Bell fans to dip into early retirement
The unique event outfitted an entire hotel and country club with Taco Bell-themed decor, offering a range of cross-generational recreation including early morning tee times, friendship bracelet making and shopping for hand-selected thrifted attire and accessories at The Cantinas sundries shop.
"For something like this where we want the next generation of consumers to think about the brand differently, we can talk about it or we can put on something that shows how we want consumers to think and feel about the brand," Taco Bell's Chief Marketing Officer, Taylor Montgomery, told "Good Morning America." "Also, it's important to say thank you to the fans -- we create something like this for them and they always show up."
Taco Bell tapped into the cross-generational appeal of its core customers, who share a mutual affection for nostalgic menu items and merch alike, and Montgomery said they leaned into the Gen Z-backed idea of "wanting to turn in versus turn up" with events hosted by the Tiktok sensations of Retirement House.
"There's something really interesting about Taco Bell that spans generations," Montgomery said, "it's something you find people have in common, even when they don't have other things in common. When you take that and parallel it to Gen Z that's so aspirational -- and the cultural crossover -- we create an experience that actually allows those things to come together to experience them and realize that people have a lot more in common than they think."
For Tom and Anne Rowley -- a Taco Bell-loving couple from Salt Lake City who told "GMA" they secured their spot through the app within three minutes of the launch to partake in the food-filled experience -- the sense of community is palpable among fellow fans.
"Everyone here has been so nice and so kind to each other," the Utah-based communications manager said. "There are still some things that we can come together on -- even if it's as silly as an early retirement Taco Bell event."
A look inside The Cantinas Taco Bell pop-up
The Cantinas welcomed Taco Bell Rewards members, via day passes or weekend memberships, to enjoy an itinerary full of choose-your-own activities from relaxation to retail therapy.
The Cantinas experience included a mix of craveworthy bites like a build-your-own Nachos Bell Grande bar -- and of course, unlimited Baja Blast.
Montgomery noted that the marketing team listens closely to customer feedback, especially on social media, which he hinted may indicate how this could take shape in a future way.
"We listen a lot -- the team spends a lot of time looking at the comments on social -- is there passion for it? Maybe we'll do another one, who knows -- I think we could do these things anywhere," he told "GMA."
